Sensei Talks  

I’m always looking for lighter versions of treats that I can indulge in without too much guilt. Here’s one the whole family will love from meals.com. Not only is it much lower in fat and calories than most, but the fat is heart healthy polyunsaturated fat from the nuts. Almonds are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals that are good for your body! Just be careful how many cookies you have…even the healthier goodies still have calories!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 22 minutes
Refrigerating time: 3 hours
Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups almonds
2/3 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 egg whites
¼ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Toast the almonds on a baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, just until they begin to brown and smell fragrant. Remove from oven and allow to cool (oven can be turned off at this point). Put almonds along with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add remaining sugar and process until the mixture is uniform. Add egg whites and almond extract and pulse until evenly combined. Scrape mixture into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight or for several hours to stiffen up batter.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 nonstick baking sheets or cover baking sheets with buttered parchment. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe batter into 1-inch stars onto your baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the bottom edge and top ridges. Cool on wire racks.

Each cookie is 50 calories and 3 grams fat.

I tested these out on my coworkers. They’re not your typical sugary cookie…they’re lightly sweetened and kind of nutty tasting. Here are some suggestions for how my work friends might add their own touch: